Ukraine's troops are placing their hopes in a new top general
Anxious after the shock removal of Ukraine's reformist defense minister, the country's front-line troops say that they've found some solace in a new appointment for another key war role — commander in chief.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed 43-year-old Brig. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as the country's new top general on Tuesday.For many in Ukraine, the appointment is a monumental shift. Drapatyi is replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi, an older general who joined the military when Ukraine was still a Soviet republic.Syrskyi, 60, has overseen many of Ukraine's victories since early 2024 but has been widely accused of resisting change and sticking to a slower, top-down command style that can cost lives in battle.Ukrainian troops across the front lines celebrated Drapatyi's new appointment, telling Business Insider they anticipate the young general to quickly bring much-needed reforms that could turn the tide of the war in their favor.One Ukrainian uncrewed ground vehicle operator told Business Insider that while he feels that Syrskyi has "undoubtedly entered the history of Ukraine as the general who stopped the Russian offensive at the most difficult moment for the state," he has sincere hope "that General Mykhailo Drapatyi will go down in history as the general who won a victory over Russia."Many see Drapatyi, who's had a string of high-profile victories and a reputation for stabilizing warzones under Russian pressure, as the ideal working partner for Mykhailo Fedorov, who was defense minister until recently. Both are seen as drivers of radical change in a military structure that has dysfunctionally struggled to fully leverage innovation and exploit Russia's weaknesses.
Drapatyi, pictured on the far right, is replacing Syrskyi, pictured second from the left.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP
"He knows how to listen and keeps his word, even when it comes to small promises," said Fizruk, until recently a strike drone company commander with the 82nd Air Assault Brigade.The major, identified only by his call sign for security purposes, said his former drone unit fought under Drapatyi when the latter oversaw operations in Vovchansk, a city in Kharkiv. Russia launched a major offensive there in May 2024, and Drapatyi was sent to stabilize the northeastern front.Fizruk said Drapatyi planned and executed operations "methodically and effectively," but was also personable. He remembered how the brigadier general would wear a green Ukrainian Armed Forces T-shirt to fit in with the team."I do have his phone number," Fizruk added.Other Ukrainian troops praised Drapatyi for his track record and openness on tech innovation. Social media has allowed Kyiv's forces to tune in closely to public discourse about the war, even while they're deployed, as civilians and soldiers alike share daily news, feedback, commentary, and scandal.
A serviceman checks his phone during a break while performing combat tasks in the Kharkiv direction in Ukraine.
Viacheslav Madiievskyi/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The commander of a UGV unit in the 2nd "Khartia" Corps, who goes by the call sign Mathematician, said Drapatyi was "maybe the best choice" to replace Syrskyi. He described the new commander in chief as forward-thinking in the use of ground robots.Andriy, an enlisted soldier who runs community engagement for the 100th Mechanized Brigade's VORON combat drone unit, told Business Insider that he expected Drapatyi to employ a "more rational approach in the use of personnel," while Alex, an officer in Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, described Drapatyi as a commander who is willing to see different perspectives but with "real combat experience." He said troops respect his "vision and soft skills," predicting a morale boost.The UGV operator who spoke to Business Insider about his hopes for victory over Russia under Drapatyi's command said that "if the new leadership can make the system more flexible, technological, and able to quickly implement effective solutions from the battlefield, this will be the main criterion for success."He said it's "too early to assess this appointment through the prism of expectations. The war has long shown that it is not individual personalities that are decisive, but the ability of the military system to quickly adapt to new challenges."Today, he said, "the key priorities should be to accelerate the introduction of innovations, shorten the path from combat experience to real changes in the troops, scale up unmanned and robotic systems, and provide commanders in the field with greater freedom to make quick decisions.""Ukraine has accumulated unique combat experience," he said. "Our main advantage should be the ability to learn, adapt, and scale successful solutions faster than the enemy."'The dream team'A key trigger for Drapatyi's appointment was Fedorov's ousting. The latter had been mired in a rivalry with Syrskyi and other generals in Ukraine's top brass, whom Fedorov said balked at his aggressive reforms and campaigns to root out corruption after he was given the post in January.Syrskyi has publicly denied a rift between him and Fedorov.When Fedorov was left out of Zelenskyy's cabinet last week in a government reshuffle, thousands took to the streets of Kyiv and other major cities to protest. Support for Fedorov seized online discourse about the war, and a prevailing demand among demonstrators was that Syrskyi be fired instead.
People gathered in Kyiv to denounce the decision to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after six months in the post.
AP Photo/Dan Bashakov
Almost immediately, Drapatyi's name surged to the top as the pick for Syrskyi's replacement."There is a consensus in the military that he is the best possible candidate for the role," said Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a former medic in the Da Vinci Wolves who called for civilians to protest last week.One of Drapatyi's best-known feats was videoed just after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. At the head of an armored column, Drapatyi ordered the driver of his infantry fighting vehicle to hurtle over a barricade in Mariupol and into battle — a sign of decisive aggression at a time when Ukraine's military was still finding its bearings.Later, he famously led a nighttime breakout of 260 troops surrounded by pro-Russian forces in the Donbas. After Moscow's full-scale invasion, Drapatyi became known as a "firefighter" general urgently deployed to stave off intensified Russian campaigns.Apart from his battlefield track record, Koziatynskyi said Drapatyi is also seen among troops as a "new-wave general who listens to his subordinates.""I believe that Drapatyi and Fedorov would be a dream team that can lead us to victory," Koziatynskyi said.Demonstrators plan to continue calling for Fedorov's return. Though there's no clear sign yet that the 35-year-old politician will be restored to his post, political pressure is mounting on Zelenskyy to reinstate Fedorov, who has rejected offers of advisory roles and said he would only return as defense minister.
Fedorov spoke to journalists in a press briefing just after his ousting, in which he highlighted some of the challenges he faced as defense minister.
AP Photo/Dan Bashakov
Mykola Bielieskov, a researcher for Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies and the war crowdfunding organization Come Back Alive, said the main question for Drapatyi now is who he'd be working with — most importantly, the chief of general staff and defense minister.Several troops told Business Insider are still hoping for a Drapatyi-Fedorov team-up."If Fedorov returns, it will be better, because during his tenure, we saw many effective changes in the military," said Andriy of the 100th Mechanized Brigade.An officer in the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade, who goes by the call sign Fierce, said that the pair, as the top leaders, would "give strength to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and restore Ukrainians' faith."'Far more difficult than he imagines'Drapatyi already had experience in strategic command, having served stints as the leader of Ukraine's Ground Forces and then its Joint Forces Command.Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander in chief during the war's early years before Syrskyi was appointed, praised Drapatyi in a Telegram post on Thursday but warned of the challenges ahead."The new commander in chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces will have an incredibly difficult job. Far more difficult than he imagines," Zaluzhnyi wrote.
Zaluzhnyi was replaced by Syrskyi in February 2024.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP, File
Drapatyi will be inheriting a slew of core issues for Ukraine. One of the most pressing problems is Kyiv's struggle to recruit new soldiers, while its outnumbered, deployed forces are exhausted by years of fighting."No matter popularity, management of the war would be a challenge, given manpower problems, unfinished corps reforms, and a deficit of skilled people at different levels," Bielieskov said.Fierce, the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade officer, said he considered Drapatyi a "strong general with great authority.""But we'll see how he performs in practice," he said. 'It seems to me there couldn't have been a better choice, but I'll repeat: We'll have to wait and see."
